Homeowners or other individuals charged with the maintained of various structures have long resented the accumulation of debris in their gutters. Such accumulation, often occurring in the fall due to the annual dropping of leaves, can impede or block the flow of water through the gutter system. Such blockages reduce or completely destroy the ability of the gutter to effectively remove water from the house or other structure. In such cases, water may backup in the gutter and overflow, which can cause damage to the gutters themselves, the structure, and to the surrounding property.
Often, manual cleaning is required to clear the gutters. This process is time consuming, unpleasant, and labor intensive. Further, as gutters are generally located just below the roof at an elevated position, ladders or other equipment are required to access and clean the gutters. This can bring rise to fall risks and other related injuries. Further still, due to the narrow shape of the gutters, special tools are sometimes required to effectively clear out such debris.
Known gutter covers exist that cover the opening of a gutter such that water is permitted to enter the gutter while leaves and other major debris are prevented. These known gutter covers do not effectively prevent minor debris from entering the gutter. Even minor debris can cause damage to the gutter and can build up and cause blockages in the gutter system. Furthermore, such known gutter covers often fail to provide adequate and efficient means for water to enter the gutter while also encouraging leaves and other debris to travel off the gutter. Therefore, what is needed is a gutter cover which is capable of preventing even minor debris from entering the gutter while also providing adequate and efficient means for water to enter the gutter while encouraging leaves and other debris to travel off the gutter.
The present invention is a gutter cover capable of preventing major and minor debris from entering the gutter while also providing adequate and efficient means for water to enter the gutter while simultaneously encouraging leaves and other debris to travel off the gutter. The gutter cover may comprise an upper cover that may extend a distance away from structure. Preferably, the upper cover extends at a downward angle. A lip may extend vertically from the upper cover and may be configured to receive fasteners such that the gutter cover can be mounted to the structure. A folded section may extend at a downward angle from the other end of the upper cover in the reverse direction a distance towards the structure.
A covering section may extend from the end of the folded section back towards the front edge of the gutter. The covering section may extend substantially parallel to the folded section and be spaced apart therefrom. The covering section may comprise a number of apertures located therein which are configured to let water pass therethrough. The space between the folded section and the covering section may be configured to receive a filtering mesh. The filtering mesh may further serve to keep smaller debris out of the gutters that would otherwise be able to enter the apertures. A connecting lip may extend from the end of the covering section and may be configured to be secured against the outer face of the gutter.